No One Can Replace You
by SweetMemories1998
Summary: What if Lucy hadn't been the only one who came from the future? After Juvia sacrifices herself for Gray, he fears losing her until she reveals that he'll get a second chance. The happy ending he hadn't thought he deserved now seems possible, unless Zeref decides to interfere again. Gruvia angst (ch 1) and fluff (ch 2). Minor NaLu and GaLe. (For Gruvia Week)
1. It's Not Over

**UPDATED!**

 **Here we go with day 5. I apologize in advance that this is so tragic and angsty, but the prompt was just asking for it. You can't talk about irreplaceable without someone almost dying.**

 **At least I added a happy ending here, as opposed to Break Them All.**

 **Hope you enjoy my plot twists for this arc, I thought it would make things more interesting.**

* * *

It was July 7th, the last day of the Grand Magic Games. Anyone would assume it was a day for celebration, specially for those who won. However, just as in many fairy tales, everything fell apart once the clock stroke midnight.

It wasn't long before the wizards who had participated found themselves in a world of chaos when dragons suddenly invaded the blooming capital of Fiore. They were plunged into a hellish nightmare as the animals flew around the city, burning and destroying everything.

Beautiful houses were turned to rubble and many people ended up dying that terrible night.

Among these people was Juvia Lockser, Fairy Tail's own water mage. She had been a member of the guild for a few months and had managed to warm her way into most of the members' hearts, including Gray Fullbuster.

Ever since they had met, Juvia had claimed to be in love with him and it wasn't long before he found himself falling for her as well. He intended to tell her that night, but his timing couldn't be worse.

They were in the middle of war and thus their focus needed to be on staying alive- they couldn't be distracted by long-overdue confessions.

So Gray forced himself not to think about the realization he had made a few days before or the intense kiss they had shared after winning their battle against Lamia Scale's top wizards.

It hadn't been a part of the plan, but he just couldn't help himself when Juvia was standing there in front of him; so beautiful despite the many injuries covering her body.

Before he could reveal his feelings, they had been called by their friends to the main square where the king announced the terrible news: their world was on the brisk of the apocalipse as dragons invaded the city. So the two mages had quickly recomposed themselves and prepared for battle.

Thankfully, they didn't have to fight the enormous dragons, only mini ones. That doesn't mean it was an easy fight, though. Gray and Juvia had trouble keeping up against them, but at least they had the help of his brother/rival, Lyon Vastia.

* * *

After a valiant fought battle, they decided to find somewhere safe to take cover while regaining their energy. Unfortunately, the couple somehow ended up being separated.

With no choice but to keep looking for cover, they kept walking while keeping an eye out for any dragons that might come by.

Along the way, Juvia came across a familiar head of pink hair.

"Juvia!" It was Meredy, her close friend. The bluenette was confused to see her there, but guessed that Crime Sorciére must've been warned about their impending doom.

"Have you seen Ultear? I lost track of her a while ago." Before the water mage could respond, Gray appeared out of no where and pushed them to the ground.

"Get down!" Juvia could see that three mini dragons were firing their lasers just then, right in their direction. He had saved them just in time and she felt extremely grateful, while also ashamed of herself for being so careless.

"Stay focused. This is a war zone!" Lyon yelled, also showing up all of sudden. It was as if he had read her thoughts and she lowered her head in shame.

"Sorry." Juvia heard Meredy sheepishly say.

As more dragons showed up, the two boys joined together to fight against them.

Juvia remained unmoving, mind overcome by terrifying thoughts. What if it ended the same as last time? What if she couldn't stop it?

"Juvia, are you ok?" Meredy asked.

"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine." The water mage replied unconvincingly, unaware that Gray was watching her intensely.

While trying to find her, he had come to two important realizations: One, this wasn't like any other battles they had previously fought. The stakes were higher and he knew that there was a chance they might not survive this night.

Therefore, this might be his last chance to tell Juvia how he felt- to finally give her the answer she deserved. He couldn't wait any longer and, truth be told, he didn't want to.

He had waited until the Games were over; for five tortuous days and now he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and say those three words he had thought that he'd never say again.

"Juvia, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Gray said, catching her attention. She was quick to stand up and blue eyes stared into his, showcasing hope and love.

"Okay." He suddenly felt nervous, despite having planned this moment for days. Was this supposed to be this hard? Why couldn't he just confess?

"Is something wrong?" Juvia asked once he remained silent for too long.

"No, I just have to do this before it's too late" He avoided looking at her, thinking it might be easier that way. He missed the moment her eyes widened as she realized what he was about to say.

"No." Juvia shook her head, overtaken by fear. It was all going exactly as she remembered, which meant the worse part was yet to come.

While she was lost in thought, he took a deep breath before finally looking at her.

He was surprised to see her pale face and fearful eyes, but didn't think much of it.

"Juvia, I…" Lyon's loud scream interrupted his confession.

"Gray, look out!" Gray turned around only to see a laser was coming right at him. For a moment he was frozen in shock, until he was suddenly pushed aside. Confused, he looked back only to find Juvia standing in the same spot where he had been a second ago.

"What?" He tried to comprehend what had just happened, but upon noticing the red stain on her dress as she fell to her knees, his face paled.

"No. No!" He quickly got to his feet and ran towards her. "Juvia!"

She looked at him; her face showed surprise and, for a reason he didn't understand yet, relief. "I'm sorry."

"No, please." Gray knelt by her side before taking her in his arms. Frantic and cold hands pressed against the wound, trying to contain the blood.

He completely forgot that they weren't alone, ignoring Lyon and Meredy's screams before they focused on eliminating the dragons.

"It's okay, my love." Gray didn't realize he was crying until her pale hand gently touched his cheek.

"No, it's not okay. Why did you do that?" He felt angry; at himself for so many reasons and at her, for sacrificing herself. Didn't she know that this would only hurt him more?

After all, he had long since confided about his past and the people he had lost. Juvia knew that he still blamed himself for Ur's death, so she was well aware that putting her own life in danger for his sake would only break him even more.

"I'm sorry." She repeated ever so gently. "But everything's going to be okay."

Gray wanted to believe that, he truly did. But he knew better.

This wasn't some romantic fairy tale. There was no happy ending guaranteed for them and, judging by the amount of blood that colored her dress and the concerning paleness of her face, their story was about to end in tragedy.

He hated it. Hated the thought of losing her, of being powerless to stop it. It was like a curse that had haunted him his entire life and he hated himself for being foolish enough to think that it would ever be over.

He blamed Erza for that, since she was the one who convinced him that it was okay to love Juvia- that they'd be happy together.

Gray almost scoffed. Happiness didn't exist in his world. He wasn't meant to live the happily every after-all that awaited in his future was pain and loss.

For a moment he wondered why he bothered trying when he knew exactly how the story would end. "Stop it."

He was brought out of his thoughts by her voice. It was weakened and faint, but he could still hear it. "It's my fault."

Juvia shook her head. "No. I wanted to save you." She placed both hands on his cheeks, holding his face so he'd be forced to look at her. "I will always want to protect you, because I love you."

"I know." The tears began falling once again and he didn't stop them. There was no point in pretending to be strong when his whole world was falling apart.

"You don't need to cry." She gently wiped them away. "It's not over yet. In fact, this is only the beginning of your story."

"What?" Gray was confused for a second, before he understood.

She was telling him that this didn't mean his future was lost, that he'd move on and find a way to be happy someday. It was the classic "You can learn to love again" that he didn't believe in.

Not when it came to Juvia. There wouldn't be someone else, because she was the only one for him.

He had always known that-even before loving her. She had been the first person he opened up to in over 10 years and he knew that, once she was gone, it would never happen again.

The walls he had kept around his heart- barriers she had broken down one by one- would come back, never to fall again.

"You're wrong." His hands fell from her stomach once he realized it was useless to keep trying to contain the blood. Her wound was too severe, so it couldn't be healed. "I won't move on from this, because no one can replace you, Juvia." He hoped she'd understand the hidden meaning behind his words.

"But I'm not her, Gray." He was caught off guard.

"What do you mean?" Juvia coughed a few times before answering.

"I'm not the Juvia you love. I'm another version of her." His eyes widened.

"What?" He could tell it was really hard for her to speak- she was clearly weak and tired. Still, she kept going.

"I came from the future…with Lucy. We crossed through the eclipse gate together." Gray was speechless. This was so absurd, yet his hopeful heart wanted so hard for it to be true.

"You're…the future?" He tried to ask and she smiled.

"Yes. I came to warn myself about what would happen, but it didn't go as I hoped." Another pause as she coughed again. She was fading fast, but tried to stay strong, for him. She needed him to know that it truly wasn't over, that he still had a chance at happiness.

"I found her last night. She was lying on the ground, nearly unconscious. I assume whoever attacked her was coming after me." Juvia sounded so sincere that he didn't think much before believing her.

"Juvia was attacked?" His face changed to concerned.

"She's alright, she's safe. I took her to Porlyusica, who promised to keep an eye on her. I only took her place because I didn't want you guys to be distracted and lose the Games." Relief filled his broken heart. His Juvia was alive. She was safe.

"Where?" Gray could barely form a coherent sentence- his mind was too busy trying to take this all in.

"She's at the the castle's infirmary. Princess Hisui agreed to hide her there." He needed to go to her, needed to see with his own eyes that she was still there.

However, there was still the issue of the girl in his arms. Future version or not, she was still Juvia, so there was no way he'd just leave her there.

He needed to find a way to save her too. It was the least he could after she so willingly and bravely sacrificed herself for him.

"There's nothing you can do for me now." Juvia said, almost as if reading his thoughts.

"I have to try. You…you saved me." She smiled sadly.

"You saved me too, so many times." She tried to lift her hand once again, but found herself deprived of energy. "Please, don't be sad. All I wanted was to protect you and I managed that, so I'm happy."

"But I'm not. I'm still going to lose you, even if you're not the Juvia I know." Gray felt ashamed of how much he was sobbing.

"You're going to live a happy life with the woman you love. There's no need for tears." Those were the last words she said to him before everything went silent.

* * *

Gray stared at the lifeless body in his arms- big blue eyes were staring at him while an eternal smile was on her face.

 _She was right._ He shouldn't cry so much when there was still a chance for happiness. Even if it hurt to watch Future Juvia die in front of him, there was no use in dwelling on that.

All it would do was bring him heartache and make him forget that the version he knew was still alive and waiting for him.

Therefore, after a few minutes of mourning, he stood up, finally eying Lyon and Meredy.

The two of them gave him sympathetic looks "I…" Gray began saying, but the other ice mage interrupted him.

"You don't have to say anything." Meredy was next to speak, giving him a small smile.

"Go after her, Gray. She's waiting for you." He nodded slowly before turning around and walking away.

He tried to keep his mind off what happened while creating a path to the palace with his magic. Upon arriving there, he ignored Lucy and Wendy's calls of his name and went straight towards the princess.

"Where is she?" Hisui stared at him in confusion until he clarified. "Juvia Lockser."

"Arcadius will take you there." She replied before giving a pointed look towards the guard by her side.

He nodded before walking away as another guard took his place. Gray followed him through a long corridor and then a set of stairs until they reached a brown door.

The guard opened it to reveal a large room with a few beds, though only one was occupied. "Gray?"

He watched her for a moment, having a hard time believing she was real. She wore a hospital gown that failed to hide the injuries on her arms and neck, but at least she was conscious.

"Juvia!" He was quick to reach her, sitting down on the bed after she moved to give him space.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Juvia threw her arms around him in a tight hug to which he eagerly replied. The couple barely noticed as the guard smiled at them before walking out and closing the door.

"Are you okay?" His worried eyes examined her, paying close attention to the bruises on her neck. They looked like burnt marks, but he couldn't be sure.

"I'm alright." She nodded, giving him a determined look.

"I thought I'd lost you." Gray admitted as the image of her dead body returned.

Her eyes widened for a moment before she she had been right to worry about her future self- she had made it clear that she'd only been there to protect Gray and keep him safe at any cost.

"So she's dead? My future self?" He nodded grimly.

"She saved me." A smile came upon her face. "She saved me too."

"I guess she wanted us to be happy." Now that the battle was over, Gray realized this was the perfect opportunity to finally go through with his plan.

"Juvia, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." He took both her hands in his and took a deep breath.

"What is it?" She had a pretty good idea what it was as Future Juvia's words came to mind. _He loves you. He may not know it yet, but he does. So, please, don't give up on him._

"I love you. I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize it, but..." She interrupted him.

"It's okay." Juvia smiled brightly. "It didn't matter how long you'd take, I would've waited forever."

"Really?" He thought it a bit extreme, but then again, that's just how she was.

"Of course. No one could replace you." Gray couldn't help but to smile as he recalled how he had told her these same words only a few minutes before.

"I guess we're more similar then I thought." He noted while carefully wrapping his arms around her.

"I guess we are." She did the same, settling her hands on his hair. "By the way, I love you too."

They laughed for a moment before leaning in for another intense kiss.

Future Juvia's sacrifice had allowed them a second chance at happiness, so they were determined to make the most of it.

* * *

 **So, what did you think?  
**

 **Did you like my twists on this episode? Has anyone else wondered what'd happen if Lucy wasn't the only one coming from the future?**

 **What did you think of Gruvia's relationship here? Did you like the talk between Gray and Future Juvia? What about the ending?**

 **If anyone was curious about the kiss that happened before, I wrote that scene on my main story,** **Connections** **. It's on chapters five and six. Here's the link:** **s/12636805/1/Connections**

 **See you tomorrow for the next prompt. Don't forget to leave a comment if you enjoyed this piece.**


	2. Second Chance

**Hey, everyone.**

 **I know it's been forever since I posted this one, but I decided to continue it after all.**

 **In truth, this chapter will be the only addition to this story, though there should be a sequel someday.**

 **I have no idea when I'll manage to post it since I'm writing so many things at the same time, but hopefully it'll take less than the next chapter of Unforgivable.**

 **In any case, this second chapter will further explore the Future Juvia plot and you'll learn that there was more than one reason why she chose to go back into the past.**

 **You'll also get plenty of Gruvia fluff as I look into their relationship after they get together, so I hope you'll enjoy.**

 **WARNING: There is mature content in this chapter. the specific scene has been flagged so it can be avoided.**

 **Happy Reading!**

* * *

 **July 7th, X791**

Juvia Lockser sat on the white bed, staring at the door through where her counterpart had just exited.

It was still hard to imagine that there was actually another version of her, having come from the future, but that wasn't even the craziest thing which happened that night.

Even though she had been securely hidden inside the castle, she had heard it. The roars of dragons. Monsters that everyone had thought to be extinct, but had somehow invaded Fiore.

She hadn't been witness to the battle the wizards had put up against them, but she could only imagine how much trouble they must've had.

Her heart had been squeezing with fear of losing the people she loved. She had wanted nothing more than to join them on the battlefield, but knew better. They couldn't know about her, so she needed to stay hidden.

Juvia wasn't sure why she had gone along with her future self's plan of swapping places, but now it was too late to back down. Even if the thought of tricking her friends made her stomach churn, she knew it was for the best.

The last thing they needed was to worry about her, so as long as they were unaware of the circumstances, they would be fine.

Even Gray couldn't know. That's what hurt most, because she wanted nothing more than to see him. He would surely manage to ease her fears and provide the safety she was lacking.

For even if she was inside the castle, she felt anything but safe. Knowing her attacker could come back at any moment sent shivers down her spine and she hadn't been able to sleep in two days.

The worst part was that she now knew exactly who they were and it only made her more terrified. It was still hard to believe, but after learning that dragons were somehow still alive, nothing was too insane anymore.

Juvia rested her head against the pillow, letting out a sigh and closing her eyes. She was exhausted, yet knew sleep wouldn't come. Maybe that was for the best too, for she certainly didn't want to deal with the nightmares.

Her mind replayed everything she had learned over the past two days, every piece of conversation with her future self and every warning. Could they really manage it? Could the past truly be altered?

She didn't dare hope so, fearing the disappointment. After all, how could they possibly hope to defeat dragons?

As it turned out, she had bigger things to worry about. Only a few minutes after she had closed her eyes, she felt a presence in the room. Darkness and death surrounded her and breathing proved to be difficult.

Opening them, Juvia was unsurprised to find Zeref standing a few feet away. She prepared to scream for help, but couldn't.

"Don't bother trying to move. You can't." He said while approaching the bed.

She stared at him, eyes wide, somehow frozen in place. "I must admit, I underestimated you, Juvia Lockser."

What did he mean? Was he talking about…"Or well, the future version of you." Yes, it was exactly as she had thought.

This wasn't good. "But it doesn't matter anymore. She'll be gone soon." Was he going to kill her? She struggled, once again to no use.

"And you…" Pausing, Zeref smiled. "You won't remember any of it." He brought a hand forward and she internally flinched. "How lucky you are to survive." After that there was a bright light and the world became blurry as she slowly fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **About 1 hour later**

"I could get used to this." Juvia said as she and Gray lay on the bed, his arms wrapped around her while they just rested.

"Me too." He admitted, closing his eyes. The need to sleep had become overwhelming and he was having trouble fighting it.

"Can you say it again?" He was forced to open them at her question.

"Say what?" She smiled shyly.

"What you said before…I just wanted to hear it again." Confused, he said the only thing he could think of.

"Hmm…I love you?" Her smile brightened and she turned around, facing him.

"I love you too. So much." Gray didn't complain when she lifted her head and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. Instead, he brought her closer by the waist-careful of her injuries, of course-and deepened it.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in front of the palace**

"Okay, I'm worried." Lucy said.

"About what?" Natsu asked.

"Gray, of course." He frowned.

"Why would you be worried about him?" She gave him an unimpressed look.

"He rushed out so quickly we never got a chance to ask what that was about." Wendy, who was currently healing Gajeel, joined in.

"It was about Juvia." The dragon slayer said, looking worried.

"I'm sure she's fine." Levy, who held him in place, reassured.

"Why is she even at the castle?" Natsu wondered, recalling the moment Gray had rushed past them.

"Something doesn't feel right." Lucy said.

"I agree with blondie." Gajeel struggled against Levy's hold and attempted to stand up. "I'm going there."

"You're not going anywhere." She told him firmly.

"Let go of me, damn it!" They started bickering like usual and Lucy turned to Natsu.

"We should check up on them." He shrugged.

"If you want to." That was good enough for she nodded before approaching princess Hisui, who was talking to her guard.

Natsu watched as the two talked for a few moments before Hisui nodded. "I'll take you to her."

"Let's go!" Gajeel jumped, nearly knocking Levy down.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes at him, surrendering.

The 4 of them plus Wendy followed the princess inside the castle, completely unaware of what they would encounter there.

* * *

Gray was enjoying their make out session until he heard her gasp. Pulling apart from the kiss, he cast her a worried glance. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She reassured, but her face showed pain.

"Where does it hurt?" He looked over her body, searching for the source of it. It wasn't easy considering there were burn marks everywhere, but as his hand grazed her side, she flinched.

"You should get that looked at." He told her, staring at the large gash which was barely covered.

"I will." Noticing his unwavering glance, Juvia lifted her hands to hold his face. "You don't have to worry, my love."

His worried gaze didn't falter, thus she chose a different strategy to distract him. It was fairly successful for soon enough he was kissing her back just as eagerly.

* * *

"I can hear them." Gajeel said, voice tight.

"And? What are they saying?" Lucy asked. There was no reply, but he did rush a bit, stepping in front of everyone.

"Gajeel, come back!" Levy called once he sprinted towards the infirmary.

"Does he even know where he's going?" Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Never underestimate a dragon slayer's nose." Natsu reminded her before extending a hand. She took it without hesitation and they rushed after Gajeel; the others not far behind.

Upon arriving at the room where Juvia and Gray were in, they were surprised to find a frozen iron dragon slayer in front of the door.

"What's going on?" Levy whispered, sensing it was best to be quiet.

"What the…" Natsu frowned, hearing it.

"For Mavis' sake." Lucy stepped past them and opened the door.

Everyone gasped once their eyes fell on the couple by the bed. Gray's arm was still snaked around Juvia's waist, a hand on her shoulder while her arms encircled his neck.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Gajeel yelled, stepping into the room.

"Seriously?" Gray whispered, breaking apart from the embrace.

"I'm so glad to see you." Juvia beamed at their friends.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked, immediately noticing the injuries along her collarbone and on her face.

"Yes." The bluenette nodded.

"So, you finally decided to man up?" Natsu asked, raising a brow in Gray's direction.

"Shut up." The ice mage replied, blushing.

"What do you think you are doing with Juvia?" Gajeel's stare was deadly.

"Gajeel…" The bluenette called for her best friend, smiling.

"Just let them be." Levy warned, staring firmly at him. "Juvia is a big girl; she can date whoever she wants."

"So you two are dating?" Lucy asked the couple while the iron dragon slayer silenced.

"Well…" Gray looked at Juvia, unsure what to say. "I guess you could say that."

"How did that happen?" Natsu wondered, still smirking.

The ice mage sighed, knowing this would take a while. After Juvia motioned for everyone to fully entered the room and each person took place in one of the chairs or beds, the two of them began to explain everything that had happened in the past few days.

Of course, not all information was disclosed for Juvia no longer remembered it. Perhaps it was a good thing that none of them knew of the tragic consequences this would have, or else they might've driven themselves crazy worrying about it.

* * *

 **August 15th**

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this." Gray complained, looking around the room.

They were currently in Fairy Tail's guild hall and it was the celebration of Cana's 18th birthday. People from many guilds had joined them for dancing, drinking and just having fun. Mirajane had provided the cake and everyone had given the birthday girl their presents.

"Come on, darling. It's fun." Juvia replied, spinning around before returning to him.

She had, somehow, convinced him to dance and needless to say he wasn't enjoying himself. It was no secret that Gray Fullbuster didn't like being the center of attraction.

"That's not how I would describe it." He looked away from Natsu's smirking face and back at her.

"You're just not relaxing enough." She told him, bringing her hands to softly touch his arms, which were tensely wrapped around her waist. "There is no need to be so tense."

"You only say that because you _can_ actually do this." Gray remarked, to which she shook her head.

"Dancing isn't about knowing, it's about feeling the music." He scoffed, but she didn't give him a chance to comment. Soon enough she had joined their bodies together and her face was much too close.

"Just let yourself relax." Juvia whispered while her hands worked on untying the knots on his tense shoulders.

"That sounds tempting." He said, though his attention was more focused on her lips.

"Yes, like that." Feeling his shoulders relax a bit, she smiled, but soon enough a surprised gasp escaped her mouth once he leaned in before kissing her.

Even though they had been together for a month, Gray was not one for public affections. He tried his best to avoid kissing her or hugging her in public and she accepted that. She knew he needed time to get used to the idea.

"I wasn't... expecting that." She whispered once they pulled apart.

"Me neither." Gray sincerely replied. "But I couldn't resist it."

A smile formed on her face. "I suppose that I'll have to convince you to dance more often, if this is the result."

"Maybe." He smirked before catching her off guard once again by dipping her.

"Would you look at that?" Juvia looked at him proudly once he had brought her up and her arms had snaked around his neck again.

"I guess it's the Juvia effect." Gray shrugged, smiling.

"I guess so." They leaned in for another passionate kiss and, for once, Gray didn't care who might be watching.

* * *

 **September 15th**

"We're surrounded." Juvia whispered, looking around.

"Not good." Gray said, panicking a little.

They were currently in the outskirts of a small town on the North of Fiore; having arrived there a couple days before for a mission in which they were supposed to capture two criminals who had kidnapped young girls and planned on selling them as slaves.

The original plan had been for Juvia to seek out the hideout where the poor girls were staying while Gray searched for the men behind it. However, as it had turned out, the villain wasn't working alone and had quite a few friends who were now surrounding the couple.

To make matters even worse, these friends knew how to use magic, so fighting them wasn't as easy as it could've been. Plus, the leader had come to mock them, bringing a woman whom he had kidnapped years ago and killing her in front of them.

That had set Juvia off and she had nearly attacked him without a plan, but Gray managed to stop her.

"What now?" She whispered, sniffling, her eyes unable to divert from the lifeless body.

"We'll finish them off." Gray determinedly said. "Together."

When she didn't respond, he turned around, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No." Juvia chose to be honest. "What he did to that woman..."

His eyes followed her faze towards the dead woman. "I know." He swallowed hard once memories of yet another lifeless body from months before came to mind.

"He needs to pay." There was a hint of anger in her voice.

"He does." Gray nodded before resting his chin against the top of her head and wrapping his arms around her middle.

Briefly closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. It wasn't easy letting go of his fear and panic, but having her in his arms was enough to remind him that she was still there.

"Gray..." She called his name softly, allowing her own eyes to close as she enjoyed the moment.

"I can't lose you." He wasn't sure if the words were meant for her or himself, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"You won't." She reassured before slowly turning around to face him.

For some reason, the criminals had chosen to remain quiet, unmoving. Probably enjoying their fear.

"We'll finish this off and then you'll join me for karaoke night like you promised." Juvia told her boyfriend, who groaned.

"I knew that you wouldn't forget." Shaking his head, a small smile came upon his face. "Let's do this, then!"

"Yes." Unexpectedly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his face closer to hers for a passionate kiss. He was caught off guard, but replied just as eagerly. "For good luck." She whispered once they pulled apart and he slowly nodded.

"That works." They faced their enemies, smirks now on their faces. There was no way they would loose this fight, not when they had so many reasons to win.

"Time to kick their asses." Gray yelled, taking her hand.

"Let's see what they can do against our unison raid." Closing their eyes once again, the duo concentrated and soon enough, all of the enemies were taken out with that single blow.

Even though they had performed this spell multiple times, it never ceased to amaze Gray how powerful the two of them could be when they fought together.

* * *

 **October 15th (MATURE CONTENT AHEAD)**

"It's okay, my love. It's okay." Juvia attempted to soothe the ice mage, who was trashing in the bed.

"No. Please." He was frowning deeply, signaling this was another nightmare.

Unable to watch him suffer, Juvia moved across the bed and took him in her arms- it wasn't easy because he refused to lie still.

"Shhhh." She pressed a soft kiss to his soaked hair, then another to his cheek. It seemed to have done the trick for Gray calmed down a bit, but didn't wake up.

"Please. Don't go." Her heart broke at the desperation in his voice.

"I'm not going anywhere." Juvia reassured, lifting him up and turning him around with difficulty. Once his head was settled on her shoulder, she began caressing his hair.

After a few minutes, Gray finally woke up. Pulling apart from her embrace, he blinked a few times, frowning in confusion.

"Juvia?" She brought a hand to stroke his cheek. "I'm here."

Relief crossed his face before he nodded. "It was just a nightmare."

"Yes, but I hate seeing you like this." She admitted, caressing his cheek.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." Shaking her head, Juvia closed the distance between them, holding his face between her hands.

"There's no need to apologize." He closed his eyes, relishing in her touch, before opening them once again.

"I wish they would just stop." Juvia sighed.

"Me too." Even though 3 months had passed, both of them still had frequent nightmares about that night.

He snaked an arm around her waist, bringing her close, before pressing a kiss against her lips. It was soft and gentle, just as she liked it.

After they pulled apart, Juvia once again brought his head to her shoulder and resumed running her fingers through his hair. They were silent for a few moments, until she broke it. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She felt him shake his head before he pulled away. "I'd rather not."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" A small smile pulled at his lips when he nodded.

"Distract me, please." Understanding exactly what he wanted, Juvia closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his, all the while slowly pushing him back to lie on the bed. Keeping their lips locked, she straddled him while his arms held onto her hips.

Once they pulled apart, both were breathless. "You are…very good…at distracting." Gray breathed out and she chuckled.

"Oh, but I'm just getting started." The intense look in her eyes caused desire to course through him and his hands tightened around her hips.

Gray was about to say something else, but then her lips were pressing against his neck as she pushed him down. Once she trailed kisses down to his chest, he couldn't think coherently.

His heartbeat increased wildly, which made her smile as a hand pressed against his heart while she continued to shower him with wet kisses.

Once her lips got dangerously low, he couldn't help his hands from going up, on the inside her nightgown. Feeling his cold fingers on her back made her stop and stare up at him.

His eyes were half open, a hungry look in them, while pleasure overcame his face. Juvia loved seeing him like this, so willing and surrendered.

"What?" Gray asked, his hands stopping.

"Nothing." She smiled before moving so that her legs were straddling his once again.

They leant in for another passionate kiss and she pressed herself against him, making him moan. "Yes, my love." Pulling apart, Juvia moved her hips again, making both of them take in a sharp breath.

Gray's hands went back to her hips before settling on her bottom and he squeezed it, pressing her even harder against him.

They resumed kissing for a few moments as her hands grabbed at his hair. When he started to kiss down her neck, getting dangerously low, it was her turn to let out a loud moan.

He smirked while slowly lifting her nightgown. Forced to pull apart so that he could fully remove it, he was rewarded with lustful midnight blue eyes once she watched him intensely.

"Say it again." Juvia pleaded, breathless.

"Say what, exactly?" He stared at her innocently, enjoying the pout on her lips.

"Don't be mean." Chuckling, Gray closed the distance between them, pressing her naked chest against his own, before whispering it in her ear. "I love you."

It was always her undoing. Faster than ever, she pushed him against the pillow, kissing him hungrily while her hips roughly pressed against his.

It wasn't long before Gray decided to end this sweet torture and remove the remaining barriers between them. Once they succumbed to love and pleasure, his prior nightmare couldn't be further from his mind.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, with Zeref**

"Only 2 days left." He whispered, staring at the familiar picture inside the necklace.

"Master?" A woman's voice could be heard and he turned around to face her.

"What is it, Seilah?" The demon's face showed unsureness.

"Are you absolutely sure this plan will work?" He smiled.

"I am certain." Closing the necklace, he gave her a tranquilizing look. "Juvia Lockser will make the perfect weapon."

"I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, but I can't help being worried." Seilah admitted. "After all, we've seen what those humans can do. They are not to be underestimated."

"I wouldn't worry." Zeref replied. "Just make sure she truly doesn't have a choice."

"Of course." Knowing that arguing was futile, she chose to believe in him. He was, after all, the strongest wizard there was and if he was confident it would work, then it certainly would.

* * *

 **So, what do you think?**

 **Did you enjoy the fluffly scenes? I just love writing Gruvia in any way I can. I had fun doing the dancing scene and I'd always wanted to write them during a mission.**

 **What about the plot with Zeref? Do you have any ideas what his plan is? Hint: it's connected to Alzack and Bisca's proposal/second wedding. Yep, things will get interesting in the sequel.**

 **I hope you all have a nice day!**


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